TURKEY’S President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will reveal the ‘naked truth’ about what happened to slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi this week.

“We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth,” President Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul.

Erdogan says he will “go into detail” about the case, which has been veiled in mystery and scepticism as the world’s powers demand a credible version of events.

It’s Erdogan’s strongest comments to date about the killing of the Washington Post columnist, who had fallen out of favour with Saudi Arabia.

Yesterday Saudi authorities confessed that Mr Khashoggi was killed inside their diplomatic compound in Istanbul after denying any knowledge of the disappearance for the past two weeks.

But the kingdom says that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was completely unaware of any plot to take him out.

US President Donald Trump accused the Saudis of lying about the journalist’s death, bowing to worldwide pressure to take a tougher approach.

On Sunday, Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said the killing was a “tremendous mistake” and a “rogue operation” by individuals who “exceeded their responsibilities” and then “tried to cover up for it”.

Speaking with Fox News, he insisted the killing was not ordered by the crown prince (MBS) and he also declared: “we don’t know where the body is”.

According to Reuters, an anonymous Saudi official claimed Saudi nationals were sent to confront the journalist and had threatened him with being drugged and kidnapped. This official claimed he was then killed when he resisted.

A member of the team then reportedly dressed in Mr Khashoggi’s clothes to make it appear as though he had left the consulate.

President Erdogan has yet to blame the Saudis, but in a phone call with Donald Trump both agreed that the death of Mr Khashoggi needed to be clarified “in all aspects” — a Turkish presidential source told AFP.

Erdogan s expected to deliver his findings to parliament about 0800 GMT (6pm AEDT) on Tuesday.

WHAT TURKEY ‘KNOWS’
Turkey believes 15 Saudi men who arrived in Istanbul on two flights on October 2 — the day the journalist went to the consulate and never came out — are connected to Mr Khashoggi’s death.

They claim a ‘Saudi hit squad’ travelled to Turkey to kill the journalist before leaving hours later in private jets.

“Why did these 15 people come here? Why were 18 people arrested? All of this needs to be explained in all its details,” Erdogan said.

The Saudis refute this story, claiming one of the people Turkey suspects is involved had died in a car accident years ago.

The Saudis initially said Mr Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed before coming out and admitting that he was killed inside the building.

They now say the journalist died in a “brawl” and said five top officials had been fired and 18 others had been arrested in their investigation into the killing.

Turkey says Riyadh carried out a state-sponsored killing and dismembered the journalist’s body, with pro-government media in Turkey reporting the existence of video and audio evidence to back those claims.

Istanbul’s chief prosecutor has summoned 28 staff members of the Saudi consulate, including Turkish citizens and foreign nationals, to give testimony on Monday, state broadcaster TRT reports.

Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency also reported that Khashoggi’s fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, has been given 24-hour police protection.

Ms Cengiz was waiting outside the consulate for her partner when he failed to return.

President Erdogan is expected to reveal all details Turkey have about the journalist’s killing in his address on Tuesday.

AUSTRALIA BOYCOTTS SAUDI FORUM
Mr Khashoggi would have been 60 this month. He had self-exiled to the US after fleeing his native Saudi Arabia in 2017 after the appointment of strongman Mohammed bin Salman as heir to the throne.

The journalist, who had espoused both Islamist and liberal views throughout his decades-long career in the press, was engaged to a Turkish woman.

His killing has further soured relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The countries were already at loggerheads over Qatar — Which Riyadh cut ties with in 2017, while Ankara has deployed aid and troops there.

Meanwhile Donald Trump said there’s been deception and lies over the killing, referring to the story changes offered by the Saudis since it happened.

“Their stories are all over the place.”

Several senior members from camp Trump have said they believe the crown prince is linked to the killing. One has even called for a “collective” response from western countries if that link is proven to be true.

Yesterday Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he expected the Saudis to co-operate with Turkey on the case.

“Australia will stand with all other like-minded countries in condemning this death, this killing and we expect there to be full co-operation,” he said.

“We expect the truth to be determined through that process and those responsible to be held accountable.”

Australia has also opted to boycott next week’s Future Investment Initiative forum in Saudi Arabia, in response to the killing.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said the “government has sent a strong signal” to the kingdom.

President Trump has emphasised how important the US-Saudi relationship is to Washington’s strategic goals.

He has praised the crown prince as a “strong person … he has very good control” and someone who is “seen as a person who can keep things under check.”

JOURNALIST ‘TROLLED’ ON TWITTER
Amid the conflicting stories about Mr Khashoggi, it’s also emerged that Saudi Arabia deployed an ‘online army’ to harass the journalist and other critics of the kingdom — according to the New York Times.

Their efforts were allegedly to sway public opinion against influential critics.

The Times claims this was carried out by a so-called ‘troll farm’ based in Riyadh and a

suspected spy within Twitter that the kingdom used to monitor user accounts. Twitter has declined to comment on this.

UNITED FRONT IN DEMAND FOR ANSWERS
Mr Khashoggi’s death has blown up into a crisis for the crown prince whose image as a modernising Arab reformer has been gravely undermined.

Britain, France and Germany have united to demand the Saudis tell the full story about the journalist’s killing and back it up with “credible” facts.

As well as Australia, Canada, the United Nations and the European Union have also weighed into demand answers.

Germany has put the brakes on exporting arms to Saudi Arabia “in the current situation.”

Last month Germany approved 416 million euros ($A673 million) worth of arms exports to Saudi Arabia for 2018.

President Trump had also talked about possible punishment for the Saudis but said he didn’t want to halt a proposed $US110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia because, he maintained, it would harm US manufacturers.

Leading US Senate Republican Bob Corker said the Saudi’s story about Mr Khashoggi was not credible and accused the crown prince of crossing a line.

“There has to be a punishment and a price paid for that,” Senator Corker said.

He backed his view with a firm tweet stating:

“The story the Saudis have told about Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance continues to change with each passing day, so we should not assume their latest story holds water.”